Thermally insulated beverage containers have become increasingly popular with the public for use with hot beverages, such as coffee. Containers of this type, frequently referred to as “commuter mugs” or “travel tumblers”, may also be used for cold beverages, such as iced tea. Hot beverages, such as coffee and tea, impose the most demanding thermal requirements on such a container. As a result, consumers have come to appreciate that double-walled, vacuum-insulated containers perform this function best. Such containers have sidewalls often manufactured from metal, particularly stainless steel, to withstand the high mechanical loading due to atmospheric pressure.
In either case, it is highly desirable to provide a selectively openable lid for the beverage container. The lid performs at least two functions, the first of which is to prevent the beverage from spilling out of the container when the user is not actually drinking the beverage. This feature is particularly important when a hot beverage is in the container so as to prevent the user from becoming burned or scalded if the container tips over. As a second function, the lid should provide for drinking the fluid at a constant rate and so as to prevent splashing or dribbling when the beverage is being drunk from the container. The lids for such containers are therefore typically provided with an open position for drinking, a closed position for sealing the container, and a third position in which the entire lid can be removed from the beverage container for cleaning. Lids of this type generally fall into three categories: twist-type lids, pushbutton-type lids, or so-called “flip lids”. One example of a twist-type lid developed by the assignee of the present invention is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. D441,288, issued on May 1, 2001 to Pillers et al. Examples of pushbutton lids are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,303,173, issued Feb. 26, 1980 to Nergard; U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,631, issued Jun. 22, 1976 to Albert; U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,748, issued Jul. 6, 1976 to Albert; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,642, issued Jul. 11, 1978 to Nergard. With respect to the second type of the lids disclosed in these above-identified patents, the user typically depresses a button near the rim of the second lid to remove a stopper-like device from an aperture in the lid. Releasing the button returns the stopper to its normally closed position. The assignee of the present invention has developed an improved pushbutton-type lid disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,763,964 to Hurlbut et al. The device disclosed by Hurlbut et al. uses a unique rocker lever to simultaneously both open and close venting and drinking apertures for one-handed operation. U.S. Pat. No. D485,759 issued to Janky et al. discloses a flip-type lid having a portion on the top thereof that is pivotally received in a horizontal plane with respect to the generally circular lid configuration. The user merely flips a tab on the lid to expose both a drinking aperture and a venting aperture.
All of the above-described lids are typically received on an insulated container, either of the steel, double-walled vacuum type, or uninsulated (or foam insulated) plastic double-walled construction by means of threads, bayonet mounts, or the like. These prior-art designs have admirably addressed the consumers' needs with respect to insulated beverage containers containing hot drinks, such as coffee or tea, or cold drinks, such as iced tea, which have been prepared in advance, poured into the drinking vessel, the lid attached, and the combination lid and drinking vessel transported by the user to a jobsite, school, or the like. In particular, the tumbler design when used in conjunction with the above-described lids, is well adapted for receipt in conventional drink-well receptacles of cars, trucks, boats, and the like for travel and commuting.
Nevertheless, changing consumer needs and tastes have exposed deficiencies with respect to the above prior-art designs. Specifically, consumers are beginning to show concern with respect to their caffeine consumption and, simultaneously, are becoming attracted to brewed beverages, such as green and herbal teas. Teas that require brewing can be premade at home, steeped in a conventional teapot, and then poured into the above-described insulated beverage container and lid combinations. Nevertheless, consumers are drawn to the “on the go” qualities associated with travel tumblers described above and may not prefer to wait at home for an infused beverage, such as tea, to be brewed prior to transfer to the insulated drinking container. Thus, some consumers merely place a teabag into their travel tumbler along with hot water. Within a few minutes, the tea has been appropriately steeped and the beverage is ready for consumption. However, the prior-art designs do not generally provide any means for either removing the teabag from the container, or removing the teabag from the hot water in the container without opening the lid, a procedure that is difficult, if not impossible, to perform in a commuting situation, such as driving an automobile. As a result, consumers typically allow the teabag to remain in the hot water, continuing to infuse the water beyond the recommended brewing time. As a result, the tea beverage is overbrewed, bitter, and undrinkable.
The above-described limitations of the prior art are exacerbated with respect to the highest quality teas and brewed consumable products, which are typically sold in loose form (i.e., not in a premade bag). The consumer is expected to load the loose tea or other consumable product into a metallic brewing basket for immersion into hot water for a predetermined steeping period. The brewing basket must then be removed at the end of the brewing period. Clearly, there is no convenient way to use such a brewing basket with existing insulated tumbler and lid designs in that there is no place to hang the chain that typically suspends the brewing basket within the brewing vessel, nor is it possible to capture the chain between the tumbler and the removable lid while attaching the lid to the beverage tumbler body in a fluid-tight manner.
Therefore, a need exists for an insulated beverage container and lid combination that accepts a loose consumable brewing product, such as tea, inside the lid and container combination, while allowing the user to control the brewing time, without the necessity of opening the beverage container.